The Husband Poisoning Society, Chapter 10

Lacking other options, we retired to our room in Castle Wulfling. Monique and Lynn went to their own rooms, but Vincent joined us. We weren’t planning to go to bed yet, and there wasn’t another place we could speak in private. Tapestries telling the history of Clan Wulfling lined the walls. Heavy rugs lay on the floor. Condensation still hung in the air every time I exhaled. Fiona and Vincent sat beside each other, and I noticed that Fiona leaned in to Vincent. Although I don’t think she noticed she had done it. Amy collected her heavy cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. We settled in and after a moment’s silence, Amy spoke.

“So. Dearest.” Amy said. “Was what you told us out there the entire vision?”

I smiled and shook my head. “I can’t fool you. No, it wasn’t even close to the whole vision.”

“What was necessary to hold back?” Fiona asked.

“Well, me confessing to the murder for starters.”

The three of them stared at me.

Vincent spoke first.

“You didn’t though. You were nowhere near the head table at any time and we’re the closest thing you have to agents.”

Fiona looked at me. “I do not need my sight to know that you would not do this. You would stab him in the throat.”

I smiled. “I do have a reputation to maintain.”

“So obviously you were lying. But why?” Amy said.

I nodded, “There was a black dahlia behind my head when I said it. Which symbolizes dishonesty. The vision was filled with black dahlias. They were everywhere. So my big question is why would I take the fall for the murder?”

“You would throw yourself into the jaws of a lion at a moment's notice for somebody you loved, wouldn’t you?” Amy asked.

I looked at the floor. I was infamous for my obsessive loyalty to my best friend Lynn. That loyalty had nearly cost me both Amy and Fiona.

Vincent touched my shoulder. “That means you could be protecting Amy or Fiona.”

Amy looked at me. I looked away. There was another person I might be protecting. And we both knew who it was.

“Was there anything else?” Vincent asked.

“I saw Fiona crying in a jail cell. Amy and I were there as well.” I said.

Fiona tilted her head, “I do not cry often.”

I nodded, “You said: I do not know what to do. I have never not known what to do. There is no way out of this."

“Could Ren be protecting us from being framed for the crime?” Amy asked.

We looked at her.

“Why else would a countess be in a Hyperborean jail cell? They must be accusing Fiona. But if we were all in the cell, we must assume that we were all being accused, mustn't we?”

“Anything else?” Vincent asked again.

“When Duke Xander said that there is only one way out, purple hyacinths were visible.”

“What do they mean?” Amy asked.

“They’re a request for forgiveness.” I said.

Fiona opened her mouth to speak. As she did the window burst inward. A huge humanoid bat burst through the window. Glass shards flew in all directions. Vincent grabbed a bedsheet and flourished with it. His flourish blocked the glass heading towards himself and Amy. Fiona turned towards me and raised her hands over my face, shielding me as glass flew around us.

The bat-thing screamed, "Now you will die for Hyperborea!"